DRINKING WATER
Testing For Yesterday's Water In A PFAS World
Relying on assumptions when designing water treatment systems creates unnecessary financial and operational risks. Adopting predictive modeling and data-driven testing provides the precise, actionable insights required to optimize performance, manage costs, and ensure compliance.
DRINKING WATER CASE STUDIES AND WHITE PAPERS
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Retrofitting Malta Desalination Plants With Thin Film Nanocomposite (TFN) SWRO Membrane
Malta is an archipelago of three islands situated in the Mediterranean Sea, around fifty miles south of Sicily. There are no rivers of any significance on the islands, and the sparse annual rainfall is only about 500 mm. There is a water deficit in Malta. It occurs especially in summer when there is a great demand from the farmers for their irrigation and from the tourism sector.
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City Of Austin, Texas Installs A Total of 4,500 Pounds‐Per‐Day Of On‐ Site Hypochlorite Capacity Using the Microclor® OSHG System
With 100 years of service history, Austin Water has seen enormous change in its 540 square miles of service area. Planning for the next 100 years has city and utility planners considering a diversity of sources, system resilience, and sustainability while being mindful of conservation goals. In the city’s newest water treatment plant, WTP4, Austin Water was able to combine those planning elements into a state‐of‐the‐art treatment plant. The plant, which is located on Lake Travis, is capable of treating 50 million gallons a day (MGD) with the ability to expand to 300 MGD.
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![cottage-grove-MN]( "Cottage Grove Municipal Treatment System Removes PFAS Compounds From Well Water Using Granular Activated Carbon")
Cottage Grove Municipal Treatment System Removes PFAS Compounds From Well Water Using Granular Activated CarbonLocated in the Twin Cities metro area, the city of Cottage Grove, Minnesota, needed to increase the capacity of its drinking water system. To meet demands for compliant water two additional wells were equipped with treatment systems designed to reduce PFAS.
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![iStock-1193782223.jpg]( "Is Transitioning From AMR To AMI Worth The Effort?")
Is Transitioning From AMR To AMI Worth The Effort?For the City of Fairborn, Ohio, switching from manual meter reading to automated meter reading (AMR) and eventually to advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) has made a small operations staff more productive, provided more timely information for the city’s water treatment plant and distribution system, and tremendously improved customer service. Learn about the benefits captured and lessons learned along the way.
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![flurometer]( "The Role Of Fluorometers In Environmental Health Monitoring")
The Role Of Fluorometers In Environmental Health MonitoringContinuous fluorescence measurements provide immediate insights into water health, detecting microbial contamination, nutrient pollution, and harmful algal blooms faster than traditional lab analysis.
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![GettyImages-1394387101_450_300 (002)]( "Building Trust: How Water Quality Monitoring Can Strengthen Consumer Relationships")
Building Trust: How Water Quality Monitoring Can Strengthen Consumer RelationshipsIn order to reassure consumers that their water is clean and stay ahead of legitimate risks, many water utilities are turning to online water quality monitoring in the distribution system.
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![Integrated Membrane Facility In The City Of Delaware, Ohio]( "Integrated Membrane Facility In The City Of Delaware, Ohio")
Integrated Membrane Facility In The City Of Delaware, OhioTo better comply with the Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (LT2) the City of Delaware (Ohio) piloted Torayfil hollow-fiber PVDF membrane modules to treat surface water for their 7.2 mgd full-scale facility. After significant review of the data, cost, and other factors, the City and URS selected Toray to utilize in the full scale design. Read the full case study to learn more.
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Profile II Analytical Results, Mine Site Processing
Increasing profitability through efficient tailing and pregnant solution processing.
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![kemio-for-copper]( "Why Does Copper Contamination Cause A Risk To Community Health? And How Can It Be Tackled?")
Why Does Copper Contamination Cause A Risk To Community Health? And How Can It Be Tackled?The human body needs small quantities of copper to function. But as well as being a nutrient, copper can also be harmful if consumed in large quantities.
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![GettyImages-157168388_450_300]( "How Water Utilities Can Unlock Federal Funds Through BABAA-Compliant Flow Monitoring Instruments")
How Water Utilities Can Unlock Federal Funds Through BABAA-Compliant Flow Monitoring InstrumentsBABAA-compliant flow meters help utilities secure federal funding, avoid waiver delays, and simplify documentation by ensuring domestic manufacturing and fully traceable components.
DRINKING WATER APPLICATION NOTES
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Pikeville, Kentucky Medical Center Leak Found Despite Ambient Noise6/23/2021
Leaks found in 60 psi high density PE pipe by FELL in less than three hours. Acoustic and CCTV failed to find any leaks after more than a year of investigation. Read the full case study to learn more.
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Hemodialysis Patient Health10/29/2021
Controlling dialysate quality is critically important to hemodialysis patient health. Complications as minor as nausea and fatigue or as severe as metabolic acidosis and sepsis can result if dialysate composition is incorrect. All the factors that ultimately affect dialysate composition must therefore be carefully monitored and controlled: proper proportioning and mixing of concentrates with water; the quality of water mixed with concentrates to form dialysate; and the quality of water used in the reprocessing of hemodialyzers, system maintenance and disinfection.
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Pipe Repair On A Budget3/7/2014
A new pipe-repair solution promises to save time and money, while also being sustainable, long-lasting, fully scalable, and safe for workers.
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How Activated Carbon Works To Purify Air And Water10/31/2019
The first step is to define the performance limiting factors in the application. For this application, most of the adsorber is used for MTBE adsorption in the ppb concentration range. Adsorption of BTEX, TBA, or humic acids or other total organic carbon (TOC) components are removed by the front end of the column.
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Remote Monitoring And Maintenance Through Digitalization3/17/2020
Siemens offers to our customers the ability to make both process measurements, and to remotely monitor the activity and health of instrumentation, whether you have a SCADA, PLC or DCS system, or not. By utilizing Siemens’ ability to offer unparalleled flow, level, pressure, temperature, and weight measurement we can provide a broad range of process measurements and offer unequaled monitoring of the health and performance of those products.
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Ion Exchange Resins And Activated Carbons For Better-Tasting Water12/18/2013
For many, access to good-tasting tap water is limited, and buying bottled water can be expensive. Simple pour-through jug filters offer a low-cost and effective alternative. Activated carbons, in conjunction with ion exchange products, produce drinking water that is absent of all industrial pesticides and contaminants.
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Bridge Crossings And The Proper Use Of EX-TEND®, FLEX-TEND®, And Force Balanced FLEX-TEND Products11/1/2020
Of particular interest when it comes to bridges is the locating of pressurized water lines on and under bridge structures. Pressurized pipelines can present a number of unique challenges to the design engineer and utility owner.
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Flow Meter Enhances Chlorination System Performance For Municipal Water Department12/12/2017
The water municipality at a mid-size city in the Western region of the U.S. serving a population of about 180,000 people needed to address a chlorine disinfection system problem at one of its water treatment plants.
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Pile Cloth Media Filtration Removes 97% Of Microplastics From Wastewater12/6/2023
Learn about filtering microplastics from industrial wastewater prior to discharge, and how this is one way to effectively reduce the volume of this waste material from entering our surface water.
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HOD™ (Hydro-Optic Disinfection) UV Water Treatment For Bottled Water3/27/2025
The HOD™ (Hydro-Optic Disinfection) UV water treatment system by Atlantium Technologies represents a groundbreaking advancement in drinking water disinfection, particularly for the bottled water industry.
DRINKING WATER PRODUCTS
Utilizing advanced ultrasonic flow measurement, the Sonata Ultrasonic Meter greatly improves low flow measurement compared to residential mechanical meters, making it an ideal solution for addressing Non-Revenue Water (NRW).
Endress+Hauser is committed to your business, for improved plant performance.
With a wide variety of parameters to choose from, the MD50 series of single parameter colorimeters pack a lot of features into a rugged, hand-held instrument. Able to perform up to 5,000 tests on a single set of batteries, and housed in an IP67 chemical-resistant casing, it is built to perform in all sorts of field environments. But that's not all - sharing measurement data has never been simpler. Whether you prefer USB-C connectivity or the convenience of wireless technologies the MD50 provides seamless data management when paired with the AquaLX® mobile app.
The PermaSeal Insertion Valve is a true resilient wedge gate valve that embraces applicable requirements of the AWWA industry standard and is compatible with most major pipe types. Developed with “clean seat” technology, this insert valve solution offers reliable and repeatable watertight shutoff suitable for utilities’ exercise programs.
The J7000 Break Check Valve can be easily fitted to any Jones wet barrel hydrant.
LATEST INSIGHTS ON DRINKING WATER
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![Water Drop with brain-GettyImages-481129858]( "When Drinking Water Raises Bigger Questions About Brain Health And Environmental Risk")
A new study linking certain groundwater sources to higher Parkinson’s risk underscores a broader question for the water sector: how environmental exposures in drinking water may influence long-term health.
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![Water Treatment system for boiler station-GettyImages-914817776]( "Filtration Media For Municipal, Industrial, And Landscape Water Treatment: Legacy And Novel Technologies")
The growing demand for water across a variety of sectors combined with the increasingly understood complexity of emerging contaminants is creating a dynamic marketplace for filtration media. The goal of selecting the right filtration media is not to meet minimum standards but to achieve the right balance of performance, durability, and operational simplicity to ensure long-term compliance and cost-effective operation.
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![GettyImages-1272611333]( "Ozone Formulas And Conversions")
Learn key ozone formulas, unit conversions, and measurement standards to accurately calculate generator output, concentration, and dosage for effective system design, performance verification, and safe operation.
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![SaudiDesal-GettyImages-1139892550]( "Persian Gulf Desalination Plants Could Become Military Targets In Regional War")
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and neighboring countries in the Persian Gulf region use the fossil fuels under their desert lands not only to make money, but also to make drinking water. The petroleum they produce powers more than 400 desalination plants, which turn seawater into drinkable water. -
![chemical element Chromium-GettyImages-1376151842]( "From Compliance To Circularity: Rethinking Chromium Management In Chrome Tanning")
In an industrial landscape increasingly shaped by lifecycle accountability, material traceability, and rising disposal costs, chromium recovery is not merely a technical alternative — it is a strategic upgrade, where wastewater can become a resource stream. -
![GettyImages-1180604487 drought]( "Extreme Weather Is Transforming The World's Rivers. We Need New Ways To Protect Them")
Around the world, rivers are no longer changing gradually. Rather, they are being increasingly transformed by extreme climatic events such as floods, droughts, and heatwaves. A newly published global review finds these events are pushing ecosystems beyond their limits and eroding biodiversity and core functions.
DRINKING WATER VIDEOS
See how SIWA MDM user experience is easy with various billing tiles and screens to help optimize the billing processes. Quickly see billing readiness, request activity in a highly configurable dashboard.
See how SIWA MDM Event and Data Action Management (EDAM) helps utilities detect anomalies and identify service points with potential issues. With EDAM, utilities can define a set of conditions or rules that SIWA MDM meter data management uses to analyze data and events such as water leaks and missing reads.
In this episode of The Water Online Show: On Location, our guest is Mike Blackburn from Hach. Mike dives into the benefits of panel-mounted solutions for water quality monitoring.
ABOUT DRINKING WATER
In most developed countries, drinking water is regulated to ensure that it meets drinking water quality standards. In the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administers these standards under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).
Drinking water considerations can be divided into three core areas of concern:
- Source water for a community’s drinking water supply
- Drinking water treatment of source water
- Distribution of treated drinking water to consumers
Drinking Water Sources
Source water access is imperative to human survival. Sources may include groundwater from aquifers, surface water from rivers and streams and seawater through a desalination process. Direct or indirect water reuse is also growing in popularity in communities with limited access to sources of traditional surface or groundwater.
Source water scarcity is a growing concern as populations grow and move to warmer, less aqueous climates; climatic changes take place and industrial and agricultural processes compete with the public’s need for water. The scarcity of water supply and water conservation are major focuses of the American Water Works Association.
Drinking Water Treatment
Drinking Water Treatment involves the removal of pathogens and other contaminants from source water in order to make it safe for humans to consume. Treatment of public drinking water is mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the U.S. Common examples of contaminants that need to be treated and removed from water before it is considered potable are microorganisms, disinfectants, disinfection byproducts, inorganic chemicals, organic chemicals and radionuclides.
There are a variety of technologies and processes that can be used for contaminant removal and the removal of pathogens to decontaminate or treat water in a drinking water treatment plant before the clean water is pumped into the water distribution system for consumption.
The first stage in treating drinking water is often called pretreatment and involves screens to remove large debris and objects from the water supply. Aeration can also be used in the pretreatment phase. By mixing air and water, unwanted gases and minerals are removed and the water improves in color, taste and odor.
The second stage in the drinking water treatment process involves coagulation and flocculation. A coagulating agent is added to the water which causes suspended particles to stick together into clumps of material called floc. In sedimentation basins, the heavier floc separates from the water supply and sinks to form sludge, allowing the less turbid water to continue through the process.
During the filtration stage, smaller particles not removed by flocculation are removed from the treated water by running the water through a series of filters. Filter media can include sand, granulated carbon or manufactured membranes. Filtration using reverse osmosis membranes is a critical component of removing salt particles where desalination is being used to treat brackish water or seawater into drinking water.
Following filtration, the water is disinfected to kill or disable any microbes or viruses that could make the consumer sick. The most traditional disinfection method for treating drinking water uses chlorine or chloramines. However, new drinking water disinfection methods are constantly coming to market. Two disinfection methods that have been gaining traction use ozone and ultra-violet (UV) light to disinfect the water supply.
Drinking Water Distribution
Drinking water distribution involves the management of flow of the treated water to the consumer. By some estimates, up to 30% of treated water fails to reach the consumer. This water, often called non-revenue water, escapes from the distribution system through leaks in pipelines and joints, and in extreme cases through water main breaks.
A public water authority manages drinking water distribution through a network of pipes, pumps and valves and monitors that flow using flow, level and pressure measurement sensors and equipment.
Water meters and metering systems such as automatic meter reading (AMR) and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) allows a water utility to assess a consumer’s water use and charge them for the correct amount of water they have consumed.